La Joya ISD Goes to Court .Vrom Vroom!

Day three of the La Joya ISD School Board election challenge is to be taking place this morning. As mentioned before, Judge Hinojosa had already granted former County Judge Ramon Garcia permission to videotape depositions of over a dozen people who may have behaved badly during the May 12 School Board election. Now depositions have ended and the case is being heard by Judge Fred Hinojosa.

The suit, filed by opposing candidates Elma Garza and Domingo Villareal, Jr. shortly after Arturo Gonzalez and Esperanza Ochoa were sworn in, alleges that:
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* More than 400 votes were improperly counted
* People registered outside LJISD were allowed to vote and their votes were allowed to be counted (confirmed by the Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Teresa Navarro)
* LJISD election employees prevented eligible voters from voting.
* UNAUTHORIZED people were allowed to work as clerks or judges

According to The Monitor

Questioning has centered around four election officials: Linda Tijerina and Aida Rivas -- both also Palmview city employees -- Max Montelongo and Gloria Amador. The four were judges or clerks at Bentsen and E. B. Reyna elementaries. Team USA member Johnn Alaniz, a La Joya board member, is the city manager of Palmview.

Also on the witnesses list: Sofia Villareal who served as the election judge for La Joya ISD, Irene Garcia, a politiquera, mother in law to State Rep. Kino Flores who pretty much called the shots for the Ochoa and Gonzalez camp, and wife of Palmview mayor Jorge Garcia, and La Joya Board member Rita Uresti who is married to an alderman from Palmview. His name? Antonio Uresti, a middle school principal who was promoted to Asst. Superintendent shortly after TEA declared his school "unsatisfactory."

There were four voting locations for this election. Sullivan City, La Joya, Penitas, and Palmview. Where did most of these complaints occur? Palmview. Who are the alleged culprits in this election challenge? Not the candidates themselves, but individuals connected to Palmview.

Y'all see a pattern here?????

Photo of participants in the Ochoa-Gonzalez campaign. Top: State Representative Kino Flores. Bottom: School Board member Rita Uresti, and Irene Garcia.

**UPDATE: ** The Monitor has reported that closing arguments are set for tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. How long will the judge take to make a decision? I will try to make my way to the courthouse tommorow and report the news, hopefully, before 5pm tomorow. No telling what will turn up.